Liquid-cooling device

ABSTRACT

A liquid-cooling device for an electronic component includes a heat exchanger, a fin set, a plurality of heat pipes and a fan fastened to a front side of the fin set. The heat exchanger defines a sealed chamber and has two inclined faces facing opposite to each other on a top thereof, and has heat exchanging members in the sealed chamber. An outlet and an inlet are respectively formed on the two inclined faces and in fluidic communication with the sealed chamber. The fin set includes spaced fins laminated together. Each heat pipe includes a semicircular evaporating portion embedded in a bottom surface of the heat exchanger and a round condensing portion extending upwardly and received in the fin set. The fan is located above the heat exchanger and behind the inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to cooling devices, and more particularly to a liquid-cooling device for dissipating waste heat generated by electrical or electronic components and assemblies.

2. Description of Related Art

Nowadays, various cooling devices are used to remove heat from electrical or electronic components which generate a large amount of heat during operation. Metallic heat sinks with fins, heat exchangers utilizing phase-change, or liquid cooling devices are in most common use. In a liquid cooling device, a plurality of channels is defined for travel of liquid which carries heat therein. Generally, the channels in the liquid cooling device are formed by milling and drilling a metal stock, for example, a copper block. The milling and drilling process incurs a high manufacturing cost of the liquid cooling device. Moreover, to enhance the performance of the liquid cooling device to meet the ever increasing amount of heat of the electronic component needing to be dissipated requires the liquid cooling device to increase its size (and accordingly weight) proportionally. The increase of the size and weight of the liquid cooling device conflicts with the tendency of compactness and portability of the electronic products.

What is needed is a liquid cooling device which is compact and has a high work performance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric, assembled view of a liquid-cooling device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the liquid-cooling device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an inverted view of the liquid-cooling device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, exploded view of a heat exchanger of the liquid-cooling device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the liquid-cooling device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a liquid-cooling device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is especially useful in efficiently dissipating heat from highly integrated heat generating component such as microprocessors or computer chips (not shown) operating under high heat flux conditions. The liquid cooling device comprises a heat exchanger 10, a fin set 20 located over a space behind a rear side of the heat exchanger 10, a plurality of heat pipes 30 thermally connecting the heat exchanger 10 and the fin set 20 together, a fan 40 and two fan holders 50 holding the fan 40 on a front side of the fin set 20. The fan 40 is located over the rear side of the heat exchanger 10.

Particularly referring to FIG. 4, the heat exchanger 10 comprises a base 12, a housing 14 fixed on the base 12, a cover 16 engaging with a top end of the housing 14 and two fixing legs 18 attached to a bottom of the base 12. The base 12 is made of thermally conductive material, such as copper or aluminum and comprises a base plate 122 and a plurality of heat-exchanging members 124 protruding upwardly and perpendicularly from a top surface of the base plate 122. Each heat-exchanging member 124 has a pin-like configuration with a square cross section, although it is not limited to such configuration and cross section. The base plate 122 is substantially T-shaped in profile, having a large top surface and a small bottom surface. The top surface of the base plate 122 is rectangular, although it is not limited to this shape. The bottom surface of the base plate 122 is used for contacting a heat generating component (not shown). The base plate 122 defines four engaging holes 1220 respectively in four corners thereof for engagingly receiving fixtures 200 to assemble the components of the heat exchanger 10 together. A plurality of receiving grooves 1222 are defined in a middle portion of the bottom surface of the base plate 122. The receiving grooves 1222 are perpendicular to front and rear long sides of the base plate 122 and closely arranged side by side to each other. The heat-exchanging members 124 are located at a central portion of the top surface of the base plate 122 and arranged in a matrix and spaced from each other with a constant distance.

The housing 14 has four peripheral sidewalls 140 perpendicularly interconnecting each other to cooperatively define a hollow cuboid. The housing 14 is vertically placed on the base plate 122 of the base 12. The housing 14 defines two annular slots 142 respectively in bottom and top faces thereof. Each annular slot 42 is for accommodating a sealing ring 100 therein for ensuring a hermetical seal of the housing 14 with the cover 16 and the base plate 122 of the base 12 of the heat exchanger 10. Four opened receiving channels 144 are respectively defined in four corners of the housing 14 for receiving the fixtures 200 therein. The receiving channels 144 are vertically extended through the housing 14. In addition, the receiving channels 144 are horizontally opened to an environment surrounding the housing 14 via four tips of the four corners of the housing 14, whereby the housing 14 including the four receiving channels 144 can be formed simply by aluminum extrusion.

The cover 16 is with an isosceles trapezoid-shaped cross section and has two inclined faces on a top thereof and facing opposite to each other. The inclined faces are titled downwardly in respect to a middle of the top of the cover 16. An inlet 162 and an outlet 164 are respectively defined through the two inclined faces of the cover 16 so as to be in fluid communication with the heat exchanger 10. The inlet 162 and the outlet 164 are perpendicular to corresponding inclined faces and located adjacent to a front side of the cover 16 so that the fan 40 is located above the cover 16 and closely behind the inlet 162 and outlet 164. Two fixing flanges 166 respectively extend laterally and horizontally from lower edges of the two inclined faces of the cover 16. Each fixing flange 166 therein defines two through holes 1660 adjacent to two opposite ends thereof for a downward extension of a corresponding fixture 200 therethrough.

Each of the fixing legs 18 comprises a middle portion 182 fixed to the bottom surface of the base plate 122 and two fixing portions 184 extending obliquely and downwardly from two opposite ends of the middle portion 182. The middle portions 182 of the two fixing legs 18 are located at two opposite sides of the receiving grooves 1222. The two fixing portions 184 of each fixing leg 18 are located at a lateral side of the base plate 122 for fasteners 300 respectively extending therethrough to mount the heat exchanger 10 onto the heat generating component (not shown).

To assemble the heat exchanger 10, the fixtures 200 extend downwardly through corresponding through holes 166 of the cover 16 and the corresponding receiving channels 144 of the housing 14 in sequence and then are screwed into the corresponding engaging holes 1220 of the base 12, to thus assemble the base 12, housing 14 and the cover 16 together and define a sealed chamber (not labeled) in the heat exchanger 10, which contains the heat-exchanging members 124 of the base 12 and working liquid therein. Two extension lines of the axes of the inlet 162 and outlet 164 intersect at the centre of the base plate 122 for facilitating the inflow and outflow of the working liquid corresponding to a central heat-accumulated portion of the base plate 122. The inlet 162 and outlet 164 are connected to a pump (not shown) via conduits (not shown) to construct a flow circulation for the working liquid.

The fin set 20 comprises a plurality of rectangular fins 22 which are spaced from each other and parallel to the base plate 122. The fin set 20 defines two vertical slots 24 in two oppositely lateral sides thereof for engagingly receiving the fan holders 50 therein. A plurality of receiving holes 26 are defined in the fin set 20 and extend upwardly from the bottom to the top of the fin set 20 without extending through a topmost one of the fins 22 of the fin set 20. The receiving holes 26 wholly receive condensing portions 34 of the heat pipes 30 therein. The receiving holes 26 are spaced from each other, perpendicular to the fins 22 and located at a middle portion of the fin set 20.

The heat pipes 30 are consistent in quantity with the receiving grooves 1222 of the base 122 and the receiving holes 26 of the fin set 20. Each heat pipe 30 comprises an evaporating portion 32 received in a corresponding receiving groove 1222 of the base 122 and the condensing portion 34 extending perpendicularly from an end of the evaporating portion 32 and received in a corresponding receiving hole 26 of the fin set 20. The evaporating portions 32 of the heat pipes 30 received in the receiving grooves 1222 are arranged closely side by side to each other and have bottom surfaces thereof coplanar with each other to form a flat face for contacting with the heat-generating component. The evaporating portion 32 has a semicircular cross section, while the condensing portion 34 has a round cross section.

The fan 40 is fastened to the front side of the fin set 20 by the fan holders 50. The fan 40 is located above the heat exchanger 10 and close to the inlet 162 and outlet 164 of the cover 16.

In operation of the liquid cooling device, the evaporating portions 32 of the heat pipes 30 and the base plate 122 of the base 12 absorb heat from the heat generating component. The heat is absorbed by the evaporating portions 32 of the heat pipes 30 spreads to the base plate 122 and the fin set 20 via the condensing portions of the heat pipes 30 to be dissipated into ambient air in virtue of the fan 40. The heat in the base plate 122 is transmitted to the heat exchanging members 124. Liquid entering the sealed chamber of the heat exchanger 10 through the inlet 162, travels through the heat exchanging members 124, then leaves the heat exchanger 10 from the outlet 164 to take the heat in the heat exchanging members 124 and the base plate 122.

According to the configuration of the heat exchanger 10 of the liquid cooling device, the inlet 162 and outlet 164 formed on the corresponding inclined faces of the cover 16 extend upwardly and outwardly from the cover 16, whereby the conduits connected to the inlet 162 and outlet 164 extend laterally from the cover 16 and would not block the way of airflow inhaled by the fan 40 and blown to the fin set 20.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention. 

1. A liquid-cooling device: a heat exchanger defining a sealed chamber and comprising a bottom face adapted for contacting with an electronic device, and two inclined faces facing opposite to each other on a top thereof, the heat exchanger having a plurality of heat exchanging members in the sealed chamber, an outlet and an inlet respectively formed on the two inclined faces and in fluid communication with the sealed chamber, whereby cooling liquid can enter the sealed chamber via the inlet to flow through the heat exchanging members and leave the sealed chamber via the outlet; and an aerial cooling device thermally connecting with the heat exchanger.
 2. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two inclined faces are tilted downwardly in respect to a middle of the top of the heat exchanger and respectively perpendicular to the inlet and outlet.
 3. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a base, a housing fixed on the base and a cover fastened to a top end of the housing and wherein the two inclined faces are formed on a top of the cover.
 4. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the heat exchanging members has a configuration of a pin and extends upwardly and perpendicularly from a top surface of the base.
 5. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the housing is integrally formed by aluminum extrusion, comprises four periphery sidewalls interconnecting each other and defines four opened receiving channels respectively in four corners thereof.
 6. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cover has two fixing flanges respectively extending outwardly from two lower ends of the inclined faces, and wherein four fixtures are extended downwardly through corresponding fixing flanges and corresponding receiving channels of the housing in sequence to screw into the base to assemble the cover, the housing and the base of the heat exchanger together.
 7. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the aerial cooling device comprises a fin set and a fan for generating an airflow through the fin set, the fin set being thermally connected to the base of the heat exchanger via a plurality of heat pipes, and wherein each of the heat pipes comprises an evaporating portion embedded in a bottom surface of the base and a condensing portion extending upwardly from an end of the evaporating portion and received in the fin set, the bottom surface of the base and a bottom surface of the evaporating portion cooperatively forming the bottom face of the heat exchanger adapted for contacting with the electronic device.
 8. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the fin set comprises a plurality of spaced fins which are laminated together and parallel to the bottom surface of the base, and the condensing portions of the heat pipes spaced from each other are perpendicular to the fins and wholly received in the fin set.
 9. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the evaporating portions of the heat pipes are received in a plurality of receiving grooves defined in the bottom surface of the base and arranged close to each other, each evaporating portion having a semicircular cross section.
 10. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fan is fastened to a side of the fin set by two fan holders and located above the heat exchanger and adjacent the inlet and outlet of the exchanger.
 11. A liquid-cooling device: a heat exchanger defining a sealed chamber and comprising a bottom face adapted for contacting with an electronic device and two inclined faces facing opposite to each other on a top thereof, an outlet and an inlet respectively formed on the two inclined faces and in fluid communication with the sealed chamber, whereby cooling liquid can enter the sealed chamber via the inlet and leave the sealed chamber via the outlet; a fin set comprising a plurality of spaced fins which are laminated together; a plurality of heat pipes thermally connecting the heat exchanger and the fin set, each heat pipe comprising an evaporating portion embedded in a bottom surface of the heat exchanger and a condensing portion extending upwardly from an end of the evaporating portion and received in the fin set; and a fan fastened to a side of the fin set by a fan holder, the fan being located above the heat exchanger and adjacent to the inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger.
 12. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the two inclined faces are tilted downwardly in respect to a middle of the top of the heat exchanger and respectively perpendicular to the inlet and outlet.
 13. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a base, a housing fixed on the base and a cover fastened to a top end of the housing, and wherein the two inclined faces are formed on a top of the cover.
 14. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the base of the heat exchanger comprises a base plate and a plurality of heat exchanging members extending from the base plate in the sealed chamber, and each of the heat exchanging members has a configuration of a pin.
 15. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the housing is integrally formed by aluminum extrusion, and comprises four periphery sidewalls interconnecting each other and defines four opened receiving channels respectively in four corners thereof.
 16. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cover has two fixing flanges respectively extending outwardly from two lower ends of the inclined faces, and wherein four fixtures are extended downwardly through the engaging flanges and the receiving channels of the housing respectively in sequence and screwed into the base to assemble the cover, the housing and the base of heat exchanger together.
 17. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the condensing portions of the heat pipes are spaced from each other and wholly received in the fin set.
 18. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the evaporating portions of the heat pipes are received in a plurality of receiving grooves defined in a bottom surface of the base and arranged close to each other to form a flat face in a bottom thereof, the flat face forming a part of the bottom face of the heat exchanger adapted for contacting the electronic device.
 19. The liquid-cooling device as claimed in claim 18, wherein each of the evaporating portions have a semicircular cross section and each of the condensing portions has a circular cross section.
 20. A liquid-cooling device for cooling a heat-generating electronic component comprising: a heat exchanger having a pair of inclined faces on a top thereof, a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet being respectively provided on the inclined faces, a sealed chamber in liquid communication with the liquid inlet and liquid outlet, and a base having a plurality of heat exchanging members extending into the sealed chamber; a plurality of heat pipes each having a semicircular evaporating portion embedded in the base and a round condensing portion extending from the evaporating portion, the evaporating portion having a flat face for contacting with the heat-generating electronic component; a fin set in which the condensing portion extends; and a fan secured to a front side of the fin set, wherein the fan is located above a rear portion of the heat exchanger and behind the liquid inlet and outlet. 